SIVASAGAR, April 22 - Yet again in a tragic incident, 19 vultures were poisoned to death at Jolatopa Lepaigon, Desungmukh yesterday, an act which has saddened bird lovers in the district.
Last year, 39 vultures were killed in a similar incident at Bamrajabari, Panidihing, about 20 km east of Tuesday�s incident. According to Jayashree Naiding, DFO, Sivasagar, the cause of death may be a carcass of a calf on which the vultures fed.
�Fourteen vultures have been given treatment and are recovering fast�, Naiding said. Members of BNHS and Forest department officials visited the spot yesterday and samples have been sent to Guwahati for ascertaining the exact cause.
It is suspected that some villagers had poisoned the carcass of the calf to kill stray dogs. Once a heaven of various species of birds and located close to the Panidihing Bird Sanctuary, the avian population is fast dwindling in the whole area due to a number of reasons like pollution, denuding of the forests and abject neglect of forest and bio- resources.
Task force formed for malaria and JE prevention: The Sivasagar district administration has formed a task force to prevent malaria and Japanese encephalitis, which often take on an epidemic form in the district as the rainy season begins. The meeting held for the purpose was presided over by Bidit Das, DC, Sivasagar and was attended among others by Dr Syamanta Madhov Sarmah, Jt Director, Health, Dr Arun Mahanta, Dr Udayaditya Rajkonwar and other district officials of the department.
Dr S Sarma submitted the overall programme to contain the diseases and the preparatory steps taken so far. The steps to be taken and discussed were vaccination, fogging in suspect areas, distribution of medicated mosquito nets and distribution of medicines. Bidit Das called on all concerned and the general people to embolden the medical fraternity presently fighting COVID-19 pandemic on the front lines.